Flash Forward
by Neemps
Summary: Battalion Chief Roy DeSoto runs into a familiar face at Rampart
1. Chapter 1

Flash Forward

By Neemps

Description: Battalion Chief Roy DeSoto runs into a familiar face at Rampart

Author notes: This story makes references to my previous story, "You and the Night and the Music."

Rating: K+ Friendship/Romance R. DeSoto & D. McCall

##########

Chapter 1

The Emergency entrance door burst open to admit several firefighters, all covered in soot, some walking in on their own, some being assisted by fellow firefighters, and a few on gurneys accompanied by paramedics. One captain was being helped in by Battalion Chief Roy DeSoto.

It had been quite a while since Roy had set foot in this hospital, but he didn't really have time to reminisce at the moment. He was focused on getting one of his men to medical assistance for smoke and fumes inhalation. They had just come from a nasty oil refinery fire. The treatment rooms were full of the more urgent cases, so Roy and his colleague waited in the lobby area with several other firefighters from the same incident.

Dixie McCall had come to the Emergency wing of Rampart Hospital earlier to meet up with some former colleagues for a retirement lunch. She and another retiree had been chatting in the lobby when they saw the group of firemen come in. They stayed back and out of the way, knowing how quickly things can get busy in the ER. Dixie thought she caught a glimpse of a familiar face for just a moment, and decided she would hang around to find out if she really saw who she thought she saw.

A few moments later, when one of the doctors came up to the chief and captain, Dixie saw that it was indeed Roy DeSoto. His turnout coat had his name stenciled on the back. He pushed his white helmet off his head and let it hang down his back, revealing his now white hair, which was thinning, but he still stood tall, and had the same wide chest and strong arms. He helped the fire captain rise from his chair, and handed him off to the doctor, who took his friend into one of the now open treatment rooms.

Dixie watched as Roy spoke with the other firemen who were assembled in the room, and then when it looked like he was about to leave, she decided to approach him. She thought she might not ever see him again if she didn't act quickly, and she really didn't want that to happen. It was now or never.

"Roy?"

Roy stopped and turned at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name. Their eyes met, and both of their faces lit up.

"Dixie!" Roy smiled and stepped toward her. "I'd give you a hug but I'm kinda dirty at the moment."

"Oh, I don't care about that, Roy DeSoto!" She reached up and hugged him. "Oh my goodness, it's so good to see you."

"I didn't think I'd run into anyone I knew here anymore, it's been so long." Roy admitted.

"Chief! You coming?" One of the firemen called to him from outside.

"In a minute." he called back. He looked at Dixie, wishing he didn't have to go. "Look, we should get together and catch up."

"Hang on…." She reached into her purse, took out a pen and a scrap of paper, and wrote her phone number on it. "Here. Give me a call."

"I will. See you later." He smiled at her. She watched him head outside to the fire engine, where he climbed up into the cab's passenger seat, and then was gone. She wondered if she would really see him again, or if that short moment is all they would share.

##########

An hour later, Dixie returned to her condo. She noticed that her phone's message light was blinking. She smiled when she recognized the voice.

"Hey Dixie. Sure was great to see you today. Wish I didn't have to run out of there so fast. Sorry about that. Listen, I'm off tomorrow. Maybe we can get together for lunch or coffee or dinner or something. Let me know if that would be convenient for you. My cell number is 555-2049. Call me anytime. Looking forward to hearing from you. "

He had called right away. That made Dixie feel good. She regretted that she had let some of her old friendships dissolve away with time. Especially now that she had so much time on her hands since retiring. She could use some of those old friends. She decided to call him back immediately.

She picked up her phone and dialed his number. It went directly to voicemail.

"Hi Roy. How about tomorrow at six for dinner? Would The Depot in Torrance be alright? I'll meet you there unless I hear from you. It was wonderful to see you too. I'm looking forward to catching up. Good night."

##########

The Depot was an old train station that had been converted into a restaurant. It was located in the old downtown section of the City of Torrance, just a couple of miles west of Rampart General. Dixie arrived a little early, since it wasn't very far from her condo. She discovered that Roy was already there, waiting for her in the bar. He saw her come in and stood up to greet her.

"Hello there." Dixie said.

"Hi yourself. This time we're gonna do it right." He took her into a tight bear-hug, squeezing a giggle out of her. "You look fantastic." he said.

"You clean up pretty good too," she said, tugging on his brown leather jacket.

"Let's go sit down. Table's ready." He led her into the dining room. It was a Tuesday evening so the place was not crowded.

They each ordered a light meal, since they knew that they would be spending more time talking than eating.

"So… " Dixie began, "I thought chiefs had their own little red cars. What were you doing hopping into an engine yesterday?"

"I do have my own little red car." Roy explained, with a little smirk. "But I wanted to make sure that one of my men got taken care of properly. That captain I brought in does a good job of watching after his own men, but not so great a job of watching after himself. I could tell he was struggling, and I wanted to make sure he got to Rampart. I hitched a ride in the ambulance with him and a few others. Then I needed a ride back to my little red car," he said, with a twinkle in his eye.

They found out quite a bit about each other as the night went on. Roy was now divorced, as Dixie suspected, and heading toward retirement very soon, within the next few months. Roy's son Chris had become a doctor and was on staff with a group practice in Redondo Beach. Chris and his wife had provided Roy with two grandchildren.

To Dixie's surprise, his daughter Jenny had become a paramedic firefighter like her dad! Except that she went with Los Angeles City, rather than the County Fire Department, to avoid problems with nepotism. Strain over Jenny's career choice was a factor in his split with Joanne, although he said they are still on friendly terms. Even though Roy considered himself to be fairly old fashioned, he eventually supported Jenny's decision on firefighting since the industry had been very good to him.

The real problems started at the empty nest phase, when Roy was still spending half of his time at the firehouse, while Joanne had more time at home with no more kids to take care of. She got bored, and tired of waiting for time to spend with her husband. Joanne had since remarried, but Roy was now single.

Dixie had retired several years earlier, but was still active with various organizations which kept her busy at the hospital. Dr. Joe Early had passed on a few years back. Dr. Mike Morton was still on staff. He was married with four children and seven grandchildren. Dixie and Dr. Kelly Brackett never did tie the knot. She had remained single. Brackett also never married, but traveled a lot, internationally, helping other countries set up paramedic systems. She hadn't seen him in at least ten or twelve years.

"Aren't you keeping up with his blog?" Roy teased.

"Oh my God," Dixie threw up her hands. "Don't talk to me about blogs, or smart phones, or Tivos, Ipods….." She shook her head while Roy laughed. "You know, I was so proud of myself in the 80s when I figured out how to program my VCR. But after THAT…."

Roy smiled the shy boyish smile that Dixie loved so much. Even now, he still looked so cute, white receding hairline and all. The years had been good to him.

"Ah, I shouldn't knock technology," she conceded. "There have been some really incredible advances with it in Emergency procedures." They both nodded at that.

"Fire Department too. Sometimes the changes come slow, but they do come. You can even get a two-year AA degree in Paramedics now."

"Did you keep up your certification?"

"Not anymore. I did while I was still a captain. Johnny still has his."

"How is he doing?"

"Divorced- again! Still chasing girls. Some things never change."

"That's nice that you still keep in touch with him."

"Oh yeah. Saddled for life with that guy. Who'd have thought that our relationship would last longer than my marriage!"

"Hey, you mentioned grandkids. Let me see the pictures. I KNOW you carry 'em with you."

Roy reached into his back pocket, pulled out his wallet, and then pulled out a couple of photos that had been tucked inside. He passed them over to Dixie.

"Oh, how precious," she said, completely delighted. "Roy, this little angel has your cheekbones! Right there, look at that."

Roy marveled at how terrific Dixie looked. She had to be in her 70s, but she still looked just as sexy and amazing as she did thirty years ago. Her hair was shorter and gray, but other than that, he really couldn't tell much difference at all. He was also amazed that she was still single. Why hadn't some lucky guy snatched her up? Weren't the doctors around here supposed to be smart?

The waiter came by with the check, which Roy took care of. Dixie passed back the photos, as they stood up to leave. Roy guided her out to the parking lot, where they stood by her car.

"I am so glad that we ran into each other yesterday," Dixie said, taking his hands in hers.

"Me too." He lifted her hands up to his lips and kissed them. "You know, we really don't have to wait another 30-plus years to see each other again."

"I really don't want to go that long again!" she agreed. They just stood looking at each other for a moment.

"I have the next two days off." Roy said. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend those days with."

"That would be nice." Dixie said.

"Call you tomorrow?" he asked. She nodded. They kissed each other on the cheek, and she got into her car. As he watched her drive away, he thought that tomorrow wouldn't come soon enough.

#########

The next day they went for a stroll on Redondo Beach Pier, poking around the shops, and grabbing junk food snacks at the vendor stands. Then they walked along the beach with their pants rolled up and carrying their shoes. They got splashed a couple of times, but it was fun to be out in the fresh air and to feel the sand under their feet.

Out of habit when coming into a new building for the first time, Roy spotted the smoke detector, sprinklers and kitchen fire extinguisher before noticing the rest of the furnishings in Dixie's condo. This place was nicer than her old place, he thought. Dixie walked into the small kitchen and took two wine glasses out of the cabinet. She picked out a bottle of Cabernet from the wine rack and showed it to Roy.

"This okay?" she offered. He nodded, and picked up the wine opener. While he worked on the cork, she went over to her compact stereo and turned on a jazz CD. Roy poured two glasses of wine, and carried them over to the sofa, where they sat down close to each other. He handed her a glass. They clinked them together, and then took a sip.

Roy set his glass down on the coffee table. He looked Dixie in the eyes for a moment. They both knew what was coming, and each had been waiting for it.

"I remember the last time we were listening to music together like this," he said.

"Mmhmm. So do I. There was talk of dangerous territory," She remembered. They both grinned.

He lightly placed his hand under her chin and drew her to him for a gentle kiss.

"It's nice that I don't have to worry about feeling guilty this time," he said.

"And you don't have to leave." Dixie put her glass down on the coffee table, and then put her arms around his neck.

"I see you're not worried about dangerous territory." He teased.

"Of course not," She replied. "I've got a fireman to protect me."

A few more light kisses lead to deeper ones. The same feelings from 30 years ago were still there. This time they could do a little more about it.

##########


	2. Chapter 2

Flash Forward – Chapter 2

The next morning, Dixie finished getting dressed and then walked back into her bedroom. She smiled as she looked at Roy, who was still asleep in her bed. For some reason, she thought it was very satisfying to watch a fireman sleep. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because they worked so hard at saving people's lives and property, that they really deserved a rest. But she also knew that wasn't the whole reason why this particular fireman was so much fun to watch. They had been pretty busy last night, and it had nothing to do with rescuing anyone. Except that maybe they were rescuing each other from loneliness.

She decided that maybe it was time to wake him up before the whole morning was gone. He stirred a bit as she sat down on the bed next to him. Then she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. He opened his eyes.

"Hi," he said sleepily.

"Good morning," she answered. He reached his hand up to caress her face.

"You're already dressed. What time is it?"

"It's about 9:30. I didn't want to wake you too early."

"I'm usually a pretty light sleeper, but someone kept me up all night." He pulled her down to him in a warm snuggly embrace. "Not that I'm complaining." They kissed for a bit.

"How about if I make some breakfast for us? Are you hungry?"

"Sure, that sounds good. Mind if I use your shower?"

"Go ahead. I'll have breakfast ready in a few minutes."

"Thanks." They kissed a couple more times, and then Dixie got up and went to the kitchen. Roy sat up and looked around for his clothes. Dixie had picked them up, folded them, and hung them over a chair. He got out of bed, grabbed his clothes, and walked into the bathroom to start getting ready for the day.

After he was showered and dressed, Roy looked at himself in the mirror. He really needed a shave, but of course he didn't have any of his shaving things with him. He was also wearing the same clothes he had on yesterday. Maybe he could dash over to his place to shave and change after breakfast? He really didn't want to take Dixie to his place. His bachelor housekeeping skills were pretty lacking.

He walked into the kitchen where Dixie greeted him with a smile and a cup of coffee. They both sat down at the small dinette table, as she placed a plate of French toast and fresh fruit in front of him.

"Wow, this is pretty nice. Looks delicious," he said.

"Well, it's the least I could do, since you took care of dinner last night."

Roy took a bite of the French toast. "Mmmm. This is very good." He looked at her and smiled. "Beautiful and can cook."

"Thank you," she acknowledged. "You know, I think we're doing pretty well."

"We are?" Roy didn't quite get her meaning.

"The whole awkward morning-after thing."

"Oh, that." Roy nodded and swallowed. "Well, actually, I'd feel better if I had my toothbrush with me."

"Uh huh." Dixie smiled.

"Maybe a razor. Fresh change of clothes…."

"You want to go back to your place?"

"Just for minute. Then I'll come get you." They smiled at each other. "What would you like to do today?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could ….." Dixie stopped as they were interrupted by Roy's cell phone.

"That would be Jenny. Sounds like she's sending me a text. Excuse me." He pulled his phone out of his pocket, and took a quick glance at it. His face immediately went from amused to concern.

"Uh oh." He said. "Looks like she's been injured again."

"Oh? Hope it's not serious." Dixie said, worried.

"She's okay, but she's in the hospital," Roy said. "We have a text code that we figured out for each other. Take a look here." He showed her his phone display, which showed a short text message: _C I OK Sam_

"Translation?" asked Dixie.

"C I is for Code I, or injured firefighter, right?" Roy explained. "OK means she's not seriously injured. Sam means she's at Good Samaritan Hospital in LA."

"Clever." Dixie nodded, impressed.

"Mind if we take a little detour over there for a while?"

"Of course not. Let's go."

##########

"So, tell me more about Jennifer these days. I haven't seen her since she was in grade school." Dixie asked while Roy drove them across town.

"She's been with LAFD for about fifteen years now, I guess. Stationed over in San Pedro. She's pretty happy with it. Not interested in moving up the ladder though. She could have made captain by now, but she doesn't want that. She's single, and seems happy with that too. She's pretty outdoorsy, likes to camp and fish. Spends a LOT of time with her Uncle Johnny! In fact, they bought a boat together."

"No kidding? That's wonderful," Dixie said.

"Yep. They've taken us all out waterskiing several times. You should come with us next time!"

Soon they were walking into the Emergency lobby of Good Samaritan. The guard at reception told Roy which room Jenny was in, and issued each of them a visitor badge.

As they approached the room, Dixie said she'd wait outside in the hall first. Roy went inside, where two of Jenny's male crewmates were sitting next to her bed. They both stood up at spotting Roy.

"Chief." They both acknowledged him. Roy put up a hand, motioning that it was okay for them to sit, but they said they'd wait outside.

Jenny had her mother's dark hair, cut short, but with some streaks of reddish brown. The rest of her was all Roy—sparkling blue eyes, fair skin, freckles and prominent cheekbones. She was lying on the top of the covers, still in her uniform, but her pant leg had been cut away to get at the injury. Her leg was bandaged at the thigh. Jenny smiled at Roy.

"Hi Dad. Thanks for coming."

"Hi Sweetheart." He bent down and gave her a kiss and hug. "What happened?"

Jenny seemed more annoyed and frustrated than in pain. "Oh, some crates fell on me at a warehouse fire. I'll be okay, in a week or so." She shook her head. "I won't be able to water-ski this time, dammit. But I'm still going!"

"You contact Johnny yet?"

"Yeah, but he hasn't responded. He's working today, I think."

"How about your mother?"

"I'm not gonna bother her with this. She'll just get upset. It's not worth it." She noticed Roy's appearance for the first time. "You need a shave, Dad! Just get off duty?"

Roy blushed a little bit, then rubbed his hand on his scruffy face. "No…."

Suddenly, Jenny just knew. "You had a date!" She sat up straighter with a big smile. "You haven't been home yet!"

"Now how could you possibly know that? Maybe I just got lazy this morning." _Darned female intuition!_

"Because you blushed! So who is it? Anyone I know?"

"Yeah, actually." He admitted, a little irked at his seemingly clairvoyant offspring. "Do you remember Dixie McCall, the nurse from Rampart?"

"Yes, I remember her. She was very nice." Jenny beamed. "That's terrific, Dad!"

"Good. I think so too. We just ran into each other a couple of days ago. Not sure what's going to happen yet. She's in the hall right now."

"Well, bring her in here! I want to see her!"

"All right, calm down…." Roy smiled at his daughter. "Don't embarrass me." He pointed at her with mock sternness.

"I'll be cool, I promise." she winked. Roy leaned out into the hall, and saw that Dixie was talking to Jenny's two partners.

"Dixie? Come on in."

Dixie followed Roy into the room, and was greeted by a lovely woman who looked so much like her dad. Dixie was completely charmed by her big toothy smile that looked so familiar and sweet.

"Hello Dixie!" Jenny said.

"Hello Jennifer!" They gave each other a short hug. "Well, I'm glad you remember me! It's been a very long time. Sorry about your injury."

The three of them enjoyed a short visit, and Jenny invited Dixie to join the family on their next water-ski trip coming up the next weekend.

##########

"Roy, you devil!"

"Jenny told you, didn't she?"

"Yes, Jenny told me! How come you didn't tell me? This is a major thing, you know."

"Well, I'm telling you now! That's why I'm calling."

"Well…. Okay, then. How's she doing? Jenny said she looks terrific."

"Dixie is…. just fantastic. I think she looks exactly the same, but maybe I have stars in my eyes. I wish I still looked as good as she does."

"You? You look fine. So how did you guys get together?"

"Ran into her at Rampart. I was there with my crew after a fire, and she was there meeting friends for lunch. She saw me in the lobby."

"Wow. Sounds like fate to me, Pally. When do I get to see her?"

"I'm bringing her on the water-ski trip. She really wants to see you too."

"Oh man, this is going to be great! I can hardly wait. So, how's Jenny looking? I haven't been over to see her yet."

"She's okay. She's got a big gash in her leg, but it'll heal. They'll probably release her tomorrow. You should call her before you go over there, in case they send her home. "

"She told me she's upset that she won't be able to ski. She probably should stay out of the water all together, but she still wants to come along. Lousy timing."

"That's how it goes sometimes. Look, Junior, I've got a lady waiting for me so I'm gonna let you go."

"Okay. Hey, Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks, Johnny."

##########


	3. Chapter 3

Flash Forward - Chapter 3

Roy and Dixie were awakened by Roy's cell phone alarm clock going off at 6:30AM. Dixie was snuggled up against Roy's chest and he had an arm around her. He reached over with his other hand to grab his phone from the nightstand and disabled it. He gave her a squeeze, and kissed the top of her head.

"I wish I could stay here all day, but I gotta get up and go to work."

"I'll miss you." Dixie said with a sleepy voice.

"I'll miss you too." They kissed a few times. "This is going to be a very tough three days."

"Yeah, I'm getting used to having you here."

"I like it here." They kissed a few more times. "I really gotta go. Wouldn't look good for the chief to be late." Kiss. "I've got to set the example for the younger guys, you know." Kiss.

"I think they could learn a few things from you." Kiss.

"I'll call you." Kiss.

"Okay. " Kiss.

Roy reluctantly dragged himself away from her, and got up to get dressed and drive back to his place to shower before heading over to the fire station.

Dixie sat up and watched him go, then pouted for a few moments. Alone again. She laid back down for a second, then sat up again, grabbed her pillow and tossed it aside. She grabbed his pillow, and snuggled down into it with a smile on her face.

##########

Later that day, Dixie was at Rampart doing volunteer work in the business office. She was assisting her friend, Joyce, sorting through piles of paperwork.

"You're awfully quiet today, Dixie," said Joyce.

"Oh. Sorry, I guess I just have a lot on my mind." Dixie replied.

"Would this have something to do with that handsome fireman you spoke to the other day?"

Dixie smiled. "It has everything to do with him."

"Oh my! Well, your friend who has to live vicariously wants to know more details!" her friend said excitedly. It was a rare moment when Dixie has something juicy to say about a man. This was going to be good! "I assume he did call you, then?"

"As soon as I got home, there was a message on my machine."

"Really? Well, that IS something special. He didn't hesitate at all."

Dixie was a little hesitant herself to reveal too many details to her friend, but she really wanted to tell someone about it, and Joyce was a good friend.

"We met for dinner the next night and have pretty much been together until he left for work this morning."

Joyce was more than amazed now. She stopped what she was working on, and looked at Dixie.

"This is really serious then. Not just a casual thing."

"Well, it's not like I just met him. I've known him for a very long time. But, it's been many years since I saw him before this."

"Don't let him get away this time. He sounds like a keeper."

"Yes." Dixie said, thinking the same thing.

##########

The three-day shift seemed to just drag on forever. For the first time in a long time, Roy really wanted the shift to be over quickly so that he could spend more time with Dixie. He really hadn't had anything to look forward to like this in ages. Being around her made him feel thirty years younger, even though both of them were now so much older.

He had previously rearranged his work shifts to accommodate the water-ski trip, so he only had one day off between another 3-day shift. He would need to spend that day getting prepared for the trip, but he also really wanted some time to spend with Dixie. He was glad that she was willing to come along on the trip. It will give her and his family time to get reacquainted.

Finally, the shift was over. Roy climbed into his car, and saw the slip of paper that Dixie had written her phone number on. He turned it over, and saw that it was a dry cleaning receipt. Her clothes were ready now, so he decided he would go pick them up for her.

"Good morning!" Dixie greeted him as she opened the door of her condo.

"Good morning," Roy gave her a kiss, and then handed over her dry cleaning. "I believe this is yours."

"Oh! Thank you. I forgot all about this." She gave him another kiss. "That was sweet of you."

"One less errand to take care of." He walked over to the sofa and sat down.

"I guess we need to figure out what to take on this trip. I can't remember the last time I went on a trip like this." Dixie said, as she hung up the clothes in the bedroom. "We should make a list." She walked into the kitchen. "There's coffee ready, if you want some. Have you had breakfast yet? I can make something for you if you want." No answer from the other room. "Roy?" She walked back into the living room, and saw that Roy was just sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed. He had fallen asleep! _Well, that's okay I guess. It was a 3-day shift, after all, _Dixie thought.

Dixie sat down next to him, and rested her head on his shoulder. She might as well take a nap too.

A few hours later, Roy woke up. He found that he and Dixie were both lying snuggled together on the sofa. "Hey, beautiful." He nudged her. She woke up.

"Hi there."

"Sorry I fell asleep. I really wanted to spend the whole day together with you."

"We DID spend the whole day together! At least the whole morning. What time is it?"

Roy looked at his watch. "Just after twelve. I can't believe I did this."

"Don't worry about it. You obviously needed the rest, especially when you've got another long shift coming up." Dixie said. "You sure you're going to be up for this trip?"

"Oh yeah. These trips are special, because it really takes some doing to get all of our schedules worked out to have the same days off. We rarely get to spend holidays together, so these trips kind of take the place of that. It's major family time."

"I can get the things we need while you're at work, if you'd rather just hang out here today."

"I think I'll take you up on that. Actually I don't think there's much we need to get anyway. Johnny and the others will be bringing most of it. I've got a tent we could use, an air mattress, lanterns…."

"Air mattress?" Dixie asked.

"Yeah. Well, unless you really like sleeping in a down-feather bag on the ground."

"Sounds like camping has changed over the years. That's exactly what I was picturing."

"Some people still like to do that. But I like to be comfortable."

They spent the rest of the day on the sofa, watching TV, relaxing, ordered pizza delivered. Roy made a list of things to bring on the trip. Having a casual day did wonders to rejuvenate Roy enough to get through another 3-day shift.

##########

At long last, the weekend arrived. Roy and Dixie packed up his SUV, and they headed off to the lake. It was a long drive, but they enjoyed talking and listening to jazz music. Roy thought it was nice to know that he and Dixie could enjoy traveling together, as well as going out on the town, and staying-in watching TV.

They arrived at the campsite in the late afternoon, and they spotted Johnny's SUV with the bright-green ski boat sitting on a trailer behind it. The name on the boat was Fire Wake. Dixie figured it would be fire-something.

Roy parked the truck and they both got out. They heard voices down near the water, and saw that the others had all arrived, and were helping each other set up a large tarp on the beach.

As soon as he heard the doors slam on Roy's truck, Johnny looked up. "They're here!" he said, and started walking up the hill toward them. Dixie saw that he was wearing sunglasses, but had just about the biggest grin she'd ever seen. That famous Gage lopsided smile.

"Oh my gosh!" Dixie exclaimed, as Johnny immediately lifted her up in a huge bear hug, and turned around with her a couple of times.

"It's wonderful to see you!" Johnny cried, hugging her again. Dixie had a big grin too.

"Well, let me look at you. Off with the glasses, come on!" Dixie commanded. Johnny took off his sunglasses, to reveal the same beautiful liquid brown eyes with long lashes that she always remembered about him. Still quite handsome, he was not as skinny as he was in his youth, but was still slender. He was very tanned and had quite an outdoorsy look about him. He was wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt with the LA County Fire Department logo on the breast. His hair was still black but peppered with gray, and cut short into a rather military-looking style, which suited him. "My goodness, you really do have ears after all! Look at that!" Dixie teased him.

Johnny blushed as he remembered his long hairstyle from the 70s. "Yeah, I finally got the haircut that everyone was after me about." He looked over at Roy, and then the two of them shared a quick hug.

"Good to see you." Roy said.

Johnny punched Roy's arm. "You devil!" he teased him again. Roy raised his eyebrows up and down at him and grinned. Johnny laughed. "Well, come on down and say hi to everyone." He led them down to their patch of beach.

Four DeSotos were fussing over items on a picnic table under the newly-erected tarp. One of them, a man in his mid-forties, walked up to Dixie and extended his hand, which she shook. "Hello Dixie. I'm Chris."

Dixie was amazed at his resemblance to Roy. Same hairline, same body shape, same twinkle in his blue eyes. "Hello! I think the last time I saw you, you were about eleven!"

"Something like that." He grinned the same toothy smile that Jenny shared with their dad. "This is my wife, Karen."

Karen stepped up to Dixie. She was about the same age as Jenny, late 30s or early 40s. Blonde, brown eyes and petite. Very cute. "Nice to meet you!"

"These are our kids, Jason and Sara." Chris indicated the two young people on the other side of the picnic table, who both waved and said hi. Jason was about sixteen, not quite as tall as Chris and Roy, but he could still be growing. He had Karen's brown eyes and those DeSoto cheekbones. Sara, who was about ten years old, also had the brown eyes and cheekbones like her brother, but with the strawberry blonde hair that Dixie remembered about Roy's younger days.

"It's a real pleasure to meet you all." said Dixie. "Quite a family you have here." _It's quite nice to be surrounded by so much "Royness_," she thought.

"Would you like something to drink?" Chris offered. "We brought some wine along, or I could fix you something harder if you prefer."

"Whatever you have open is fine," Dixie said.

"Dad?" Chris looked at Roy.

"Same," Roy replied. He set up folding chairs for himself and Dixie, and then motioned for her to take a seat.

Sara came up to them with a plate of cheese and crackers, and some napkins. She shyly stood in front of Dixie. "Would you like some cheese and crackers?"

"I would love some, sweetheart. Thank you very much." Dixie replied graciously, taking a few and putting them on a napkin. Sara moved in front of Roy next.

"Grandpa? Would you like some?" She offered sweetly.

"Sure. Thank you, Sara." Roy helped himself. Sara leaned over to whisper in his ear.

"She's very pretty Grandpa."

"Yes, I think so too." Roy whispered back. Of course, Dixie heard every word and was very flattered, but said nothing.

Jenny came up to them next. "Hello again!" She said to Dixie. Jenny was still hobbling around with her leg bandaged. She was wearing cutoff jean shorts, and an orange bikini top with a white long-sleeved unbuttoned blouse over it. She leaned down and gave Dixie a quick hug.

"Hello, Jenny. How is your leg doing?" Dixie asked.

"Better, thanks." She said. "I won't be skiing this trip, but that makes me the designated boat driver. So I'll still be out there." She walked over to Roy and gave him a hug.

"Hi Baby Girl." Roy said.

Chris came over with their drinks and handed them over. "Here you go. Two white wines. Sorry about the paper cups, but we don't like to use glass around the campsite."

"Makes sense. Thank you." Dixie said. She looked at Roy. "Well, isn't this the life? We just sit here and everyone else does all the work."

"Being the patriarch has its perks." Roy agreed. "It's good to be the king."

Dixie laughed. "Long live the king!" She held up her cup to him. He touched it with his.

"My lady," he said, looking into her eyes as he took a sip.

##########

The next morning, the roar of ski boats on the lake woke the DeSoto clan. Roy and Dixie had a comfy night in their tent on the large air mattress. They heard Johnny's voice outside.

"Jenn? I'm taking the boat down to the launch now. Hope it won't be too long of a line."

They heard him get into his truck, and drive off with the boat trailer in tow.

"He really has become part of your family, hasn't he?" Dixie mused.

"Yep. In every way that really counts." Roy agreed.

"No kids of his own...even with two marriages. That's a shame." said Dixie.

"He's been great with my kids, and with Chris's kids as well. They're all crazy about their Uncle Johnny. I think he sees them more than I do. It's that amazing charisma of his. So much fun to be around. "

"He seems a bit calmer now than I remember. I guess that comes with age."

"For us all…"

"He still eats a lot."

"Now there's an understatement! What I wouldn't give to have that metabolism of his!"

"Speaking of eating…. What's for breakfast?" Dixie poked him.

"I guess we'll have to get up to find out. Come on."

##########

A couple of hours later, after most of them had finished breakfast, Johnny brought the Fire Wake up to the small pier near their campsite. Jenny walked out there to meet him, and to tie off the mooring. Then they both came back to the camp.

"Okay, who wants to go on the first run?" Johnny asked. "We've got four seats available."

"Me! Me!" shouted both Jason and Sara, jumping up and down.

"Yeah, I figured. Who else? Dixie? How about you?"

"Me? Oh no … " she shook her head, and started to hide behind Roy.

Roy smiled. "You don't have to ski. You can just go for the ride. Come on, we'll both go."

"I don't know…."

"Fresh air, wind in your hair, spending quality time with your … partner." Roy realized he didn't know how he should refer to himself. Friend? Boyfriend? Lover? Date? None of those seemed quite right.

For Roy's sake, Dixie gave in. "Okay. Just for the ride."

"Atta girl!" said Johnny. "Let's go."

The six of them walked out to the boat. Roy and Johnny helped Dixie board, and she sat in one of the four seats behind the driver. Roy sat next to her. Johnny helped Sara get in, and then Jason. They sat across from their grandfather and Dixie. Johnny untied the mooring, and brought it back into the boat. Jenny got into the driver 's seat, with some assistance from Johnny, who sat in the front passenger seat.

"How's your leg?" Johnny asked, with some concern.

"It's fine. I changed the dressing this morning," assured Jenny. She opened up a compartment, and pulled out several orange life vests. "Okay everybody. Put these on."

Everyone put on a vest. Jason helped his sister with hers, and Roy helped Dixie with hers. Once everyone was vested up, Jenny turned around to the rest of her passengers. "Everybody ready?"

"Yeah!" cried Sara. Dixie held on to Roy's arm. She'd never been in a fast boat before.

Jenny turned on the ignition, and backed the boat away from the pier. Once they cleared the dock, she switched to forward, turned out toward the middle of the lake, and went at a medium speed for a short while.

"How about here?" she said to Johnny.

"Looks good to me." he said. Jenny slowed the boat to a stop and idled. Johnny turned around and looked at Jason. "You wanna go first?"

"Sure!" he said. Jason lifted up a single water-ski that was lying on the floor of the boat at his feet. He tossed it overboard, and then started to climb out over the ladder at the back end of the boat. Once in the water, he grabbed the ski and started to get his feet into it.

"Just one ski?" said Dixie.

"Yeah, he's a hot-shot already. They all use a single ski, except for Sara here. She's still using two."

The boat slowly drifted away from Jason, and he eventually grabbed the rope bar that Sara tossed out to him.

"Ready?" Jenny called out to him.

"Hit it!" Jason yelled.

"Hold on," Roy said to Dixie. She squeezed his arm tighter.

Jenny hit the accelerator. The boat sped off straight forward, and Jason was able to get up on the single ski in a couple of seconds. He bounced around in the wake for a while, and then was able to jump the wake and ski in the calmer water.

Dixie found the experience quite exhilarating. She also found herself quite proud of this teenager who seemed to be very skilled at this sport. Until he fell! Dixie gasped. Jason went down, and the rope bar bounced on the water a bit. Jenny slowed the boat, and made a wide curving circle to come around and pickup Jason.

"Is he all right?" Dixie fretted.

"Oh yeah. It's okay," Roy soothed. "That's how most of us end our runs. Johnny and Jenny are the only ones who just let go when they're ready to quit. The rest of us wipe out!"

"Are you going to do this too?"

"Oh no. I don't have the arm strength anymore. Johnny here works out every day, but I've basically given up on all that. "

The Fire Wake pulled up next to Jason, and he climbed back into the boat.

"That was fun! The water feels great." Jason said with a big grin. He helped his sister climb down into the water. They pulled the single ski up into the boat, and Jason passed down the two double skis for Sara. Soon she was ready for her run.

"Hit it!" Sara yelled. Jenny accelerated the boat, and Sara got up on her skis. She stayed in the wake of the boat for her entire run of about two minutes, and then she fell.

After Sara was back in the boat, it was Johnny's turn. He took his shirt off, put his life vest back on, and then climbed into the water. Jason passed him the single ski. Soon he was in position.

"Hit it!" Johnny yelled. Jenny sent the boat roaring forward, faster than for the others, but Johnny was up in a second. He easily jumped the wake and was skiing smoothly in the calmer water. Dixie and Roy smiled and waved at him. Johnny waved back. Then he crossed the wake and skied on the other side. He continued to cross back and forth across the wake for several minutes.

"Sakes, he really is pretty good at this, isn't he?" Dixie exclaimed.

"He sure is. Puts us all to shame." Roy remarked. "Fun to just watch him though."

"Yeah."

Finally, Johnny made a throat-slash gesture, and let go of the rope bar. He slowly sank down into the water, and Jenny brought the boat around to pick him up.

##########

That evening, the entire gang was gathered around the campfire. They had feasted on burgers and hot dogs and all the goes along with them. Now the kids (and Johnny) were eating s'mores, and everyone else was relaxing with their drinks. Jason sat next Johnny.

"This may sound kinda weird," Jason began, "but Dixie's kinda hot… for an older chick."

Johnny chuckled. "I always thought so."

"She and Grandad make a nice couple, don't you think?"

"Yeah. They really do." Johnny agreed, truly realizing it for himself as well. "You think so, huh?"

"I haven't seen him happy like this in a long time. It's nice." said Jason.

Roy and Dixie sat together, starring into the campfire flames, and soaking up all the scenery of the night sky, sparkling lake, and sweet-smelling pine trees.

"Roy?" Dixie said quietly.

"Hmm?" Roy looked at her.

"Thank you so much for bringing me here. I'm having a wonderful time. It's so beautiful here, and you have a lovely family." She kissed him on the cheek. He took her hand in his.

"You're welcome," he said. "You're always welcome here."

##########

The next morning, Dixie was helping Jenny and Karen pack up the food and kitchen things from the picnic table, while Roy helped Johnny and Chris take down the tarp and camping tents.

"Dixie?" Jenny said. "I'm very glad that you and my Dad have found each other again. He's been lonely, and now he's got that sparkle in his eye again, thanks to you."

"Yes, it's wonderful to see you two together." Karen agreed. "He's been through some rough years, and it's nice to see him enjoying himself again."

"Well…" Dixie was a little embarrassed. "Thank you both. That's very sweet of you. Roy's a wonderful man. I like being with him very much."

Chris and Roy were helping Johnny load the camping tents into his SUV.

"Hey Dad," Chris said. "You and Dixie look pretty good together. Are you guys serious?"

"Thanks. Um… I guess so. I'm not really sure yet. We've only been together for a couple of weeks."

"But you've known her for a long time, right?"

"Yeah, but we haven't been together for most of that time. I really like her though."

"I like her too." Chris agreed. "She makes you happy, and she seems happy to be with you. She fits in with the family pretty well. Seems like a nice match to me."

"Okay, Yenta, I get the picture." Roy teased his son. Chris smiled and went to go grab more equipment. Johnny hopped down from his truck and stood next to Roy. They both watched Dixie helping the other girls pack up. "So, what's your take on all this, Junior?"

"Honestly?" Johnny said sincerely. "I think you should marry her."

Roy was surprised. "Really?" Roy looked at Johnny, figuring he was just teasing him. But, Johnny was serious. "Don't you think it's a little soon to be thinking about that?"

"No. Not at all. Maybe if it was someone other than Dixie, but she's not just any woman, you know. I mean, this is _Dixie_. _Our_ Dixie, from Rampart, who has known us for a long time. She's the ultimate, Roy. You don't really think you're ever going to meet another woman better than her, do you?"

"I guess not. I haven't really thought of it that way, but I guess you're right." Roy nodded. "But, I haven't really known her for a long time. I knew her a long time _ago_, but I've only just recently gotten to know her again now. Thirty-odd years is a pretty big gap."

"Well, Roy, the years in the gap aren't what you should be thinking about." Johnny said earnestly. "You should be thinking about the years going forward… from today on. Look, I know you don't like to think about the fact that we've got less years ahead of us than behind us. But the reality is, you really shouldn't waste any time. It's not like when we were younger. You know what you want, what you need. She does too. It seems pretty clear to me that you two want and need the same things." Johnny clapped him on the shoulder. "I think you should go for it. Soon."

Johnny walked away to go help Chris pack his car, and to let Roy think about what he said. Roy looked at Dixie and thought maybe Johnny was right.

##########


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Author's notes: This chapter has references to episodes "The Problem," "The Indirect Method," "Camera Bug," and "The Wedworth-Townsend Act."

##########

Roy and Dixie returned from the water-ski trip, arriving at her condo in the early evening. They got out of Roy's SUV, and he opened up the rear hatch. "Okay, let's get your stuff upstairs," he said, and was about to start hauling her things out of the car. Dixie put her hand on his arm, and turned him to face her.

"Why don't we bring your things upstairs too?" she said with an inviting smile. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"You want me to move in with you?"

"Yeah."

"That's a big step. You ready for that?"

"I am if you are," Dixie said, confidently. Roy regarded her for a moment.

"Okay. Let's try it for a while, and if we don't kill each other, maybe we can make it more permanent."

"Good," Dixie said.

##########

Roy slowly brought more and more of his things over to Dixie's condo as the days went on. One day, he was unpacking several framed photos, and Dixie was having fun looking at them. One photo was of Jenny when she graduated from paramedic training.

"Oh, look at this one. You must have been a proud papa on this day," Dixie said, admiring it closely.

"Yeah. It was a special day, seeing her follow in my footsteps. You know, a female paramedic saved my life once. Well, you remember Karen Overstreet, don't you?" Roy asked.

"Yes, I do. We had a nice talk. I was afraid she might drop out of the program, but she hung tough and made it through. Good thing for you that she did!"

"I'll say. She did really well for herself, up in Redding. She worked up there as a paramedic for several years. Got married eventually, and then I lost track of her."

Dixie picked up another photo, and was surprised to see that it was one of herself!

"Oh! Goodness sakes. Check this one out." She handed it over to Roy.

"Hey, look at you! In your little nurse's hat! Lookin' pretty hot there, lady!" Roy nudged her. "I think this was one of the photos Johnny took when he was all excited about that camera. Remember that?"

"Yes, I remember he was getting a little annoying with it. But…. It's actually not a bad picture."

"That's why I kept it." Roy leaned over and kissed her.

##########

Dixie and her friend Joyce were volunteering again at Rampart, helping to prepare for an upcoming wellness fair. They decided to break for lunch, and were chatting in the cafeteria.

"How are things going with you and your fella?" Joyce asked.

"Pretty well. Sometimes we trip over each other a bit, but overall it's working out nicely." Dixie thought a moment. "You know, I thought I'd miss spending time by myself, but now when he's on his shifts at the fire station, I spend all my time wishing he was with me."

"I always thought that human beings were meant to be in pairs. When it's not possible, we adjust because we have to. Now that you have a mate …," Joyce looked at Dixie through the corner of her eye on that last word, "… you are adjusting to it."

"That's an interesting thought."

"Do you think you'll get married?"

"Oh, I don't know. We're doing okay as we are. We don't really _need _to get married. We're both financially secure. We're obviously not going to have kids together. "

"Do you _want_ to get married?"

Dixie thought about it for a moment. "I always wanted to when I was younger. I could have gotten married. I was asked once, but I didn't go for it. He wasn't the right man for me."

"Is Roy the right man for you?"

Dixie smiled. "Yeah. I think he is."

"You love him?"

"Yes, I do. Very much."

"What if he were to get injured? Or sick? Or what if he had a stroke or something? You wouldn't be able to visit him in ICU. You're not on staff anymore, you know."

"Hmm. I guess that's right."

"And he wouldn't be able to visit you or make any medical decisions if you were to get sick or something."

"Okay, I see your point on that."

"There's probably a few other legal and practical reasons as well."

"Well, I don't mean to knock marriage. I just don't know if it's a good thing for us. He was married before, you know. He may not want to ask me."

"You don't have to wait for him to ask you. You could ask him to marry you."

"I don't know about that…"

"Why not? Lots of women are proposing these days. Especially ones who are financially secure, such as yourself. The roles are reversing all the time. Women as the corporate executives, and men stay home and raise the kids. It's happening more and more."

"Hmm. I suppose so."

"You approached him that day in the Emergency lobby. You gave him your phone number, right? You asked him out to dinner that night, right? You asked him to move in with you, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"You've come this far, Dixie. You're not the kind of gal to wait around for someone to give you what you want. You get it yourself. Am I right?"

"Okay. Message received. I'll have to think about this."

##########

Dixie and Roy went to an outdoor jazz concert one evening at Malaga Cove Library. It was a free, local community event where people could bring picnic baskets, sit on the lawn and enjoy some fine music under the trees and the stars. Dixie had prepared a nice dinner basket for the two of them to share.

After the concert, they decided to stroll around the garden for a little bit, to enjoy the view. The city and ocean were visible through the trees of Palos Verdes.

"Roy, I need to talk to you. It's important. Can we sit for a moment?"

"Okay."

They sat down on a stone bench. Dixie seemed serious, and Roy was a little concerned. She hesitated a bit before speaking.

"I can see why men have so much trouble with this. This is hard!" Dixie said.

Thoughts went racing through Roy's mind. _Is_ _she breaking up with me? Is she sick? _She took his hands in hers, and he braced himself for bad news.

"Roy, …. you are very important to me, and I love you very much. So….," She hesitated again.

"Dixie, are you okay?" He couldn't help asking.

"Yes," she squeezed his hands. "I just need to get through this. I'm almost done…" She grinned a little. He did too, but was a little confused. Dixie mustered up the courage to finish. "Will you marry me?"

At first he wasn't sure what she said. After a moment, when he realized what she actually said, he smiled a big toothy smile. Then he laughed a little bit. Now it was Dixie's turn to be confused. She just stared at him, not knowing what to do or say next. _This isn't quite the reaction I expected_, she thought.

Roy reached his hand into his jacket pocket, and pulled out a little black jewelry box. He held it up for her. He looked at her, then back at the box and opened it. It was an engagement ring. Dixie smiled. The stone, a large diamond solitaire, was exquisite and glittered in the moonlight. Roy took it out of the box, and held it up with his fingers for her to see. Then he took hold of her left hand and placed the ring on her finger.

"Yes," he said. "I'll marry you."

Dixie was a bit stunned, as Roy lifted up her chin to give her a tender kiss. "Now I can call you my fiancée," he said, happily. "Sounds right." They kissed again. "Nice job on the proposal, by the way. Better than the one I had planned."

The emotions overwhelming her, Dixie started to cry.

"Aww…" Roy soothed, as he held her close, tears of joy and relief streamed down her cheeks.

"I've never had one of these before," she murmured, looking at her new ring. "It's beautiful."

"Don't cry, Dixie," Roy said softly and kissed her hair. He could feel his own eyes getting misty.

"I'm sorry." Dixie sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I've never really been much of a crier."

"Yeah, you're pretty tough." Roy stroked her hair. She held her hand out so they could both look at the ring together. They sat holding each other quietly for a spell, soaking in the moment.

Dixie broke the silence. "You know, I just realized something," she said, reflectively.

"What's that?"

"At the hospital, we saw a lot of people hurt or sick, and a lot of sad situations," Dixie began. Roy nodded, not sure where this was going. Dixie continued, "But the only time I ever cried at work was over you."

"What?" Roy was surprised. "When was this?"

"You remember that pompous ass doctor, Sunderland?"

Roy remembered the incident, years ago, when he was forced to treat a patient on his own in the ambulance when the biophone malfunctioned. The patient's private doctor was a stiff and prim British man who did not approve of paramedic methods, and basically chewed Roy out for treating his patient without a doctor's supervision. "Yeah, I remember him."

"I was so mad at him for making you want to quit the paramedics. I just lost it. I told him off, right there in the hallway, in front of Kel and Joe and anyone who was walking by. Arrogant jerk."

"Really?" Roy said. "You defended me?"

"Yeah. I did."

"I never knew that. What did you say?"

"Oh, I said that you took care of people in places that would curl his hair. And when was the last time _he _risked his life for a patient? Stuff like that."

"Huh. I guess that explains things now."

"Oh? Explains what?"

"Well, Sunderland … he came to the station and apologized to me, in person, with all the guys standing right there. I always wondered what sparked him to do that. So it was you, all this time. I never knew."

"I never knew he apologized. Hmm," Dixie mused. "I still think he was a pompous ass."

Roy laughed and hugged her tight. "You are amazing. I love you."

"I love you too."

"How did I get so lucky to be the one to have you? With all these other guys running around over the years. There must have been some others who were interested. "

"Well…. none of the others ever invited me to go on a water-ski trip with his family." Roy nodded affirmatively. Dixie continued. "None of the others ever picked up my dry cleaning for me." Roy chuckled at that one. "None of the others ever fell asleep on my couch, or sat and watched TV and ate pizza with me."

"That's sweet." Roy said.

"None of the others ever saved my life," Dixie said, frankly. Roy remembered that too well. Scared him to death. It was back when he and Johnny were still uncertified as paramedics, and had to have a nurse with them on their runs. Dixie had been injured while helping them with the victim of a car accident. They treated her on their own, and probably saved her from dying.

Roy looked down, but Dixie touched his cheek. "Roy, you're special. Don't you forget it!"

"So are you," Roy said. He held up her ring hand and kissed it.

##########

From:

To:

Subj: News

_Dear Kel,_

_Hope you are well and still enjoying your work helping others._

_Just thought I would let you know that I am getting married soon. I ran into Roy DeSoto a while back. He is divorced now, and we hit it off. _

_Haven't seen you in quite a while. Any chance you'll be back this way soon?_

_Take care and let me know how you are doing._

_Love, Dixie_

##########

"Hey, Pally."

"Hi, Junior. Got a minute?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

"Got a favor to ask you."

"Uh oh."

"You'll like this one."

"Oh yeah? Tell me."

"Dixie and I are getting married."

"You are? That's great! Wow! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. I need a Best Man and Dixie needs a Man of Honor. You willing to serve?"

"Of course! I'd love to. That's great news, Roy!"

"Yeah, we're really excited about it."

"So, how did you propose to her?"

"I didn't."

"You didn't? Well, then how are you…"

"She proposed to me."

"No kidding? She did? Ha! That's sounds like something she'd do. Take charge lady!"

"Yep. I was going to propose. I had the ring all ready, and then she beat me to the punch."

"She's really something. I'm so happy for you. When's the big day?"

"Are you available on Monday?"

"Monday? Uh, yeah, I can be. Why Monday?"

"We're just gonna get married by a justice of the peace downtown. We'll have a family gathering later sometime. But we really want you to stand up with us. Be the witness."

"Okay, then. I'll be there."

"Good. Thanks, Johnny. I'll call you later with the time and stuff."

"Okay. You told the family yet?"

"I'm making the calls now. You were first."

"Really? I was first? I'm honored! Well, give Dixie a kiss for me."

"I will. See you soon, Johnny."

"Okay. Bye, Roy."

##########

Reply From:

To:

Subj: Re: News

_Dixie,_

_Congratulations! Roy is a lucky man. He's a good man too, and will treat you right. You deserve it. I'm very happy for you both._

_Things are hectic here, as always. But, we are making a difference. The work is hard, but satisfying. Not sure when I'll be back in the states. I'll let you know. _

_Wish I could be there to give you a kiss and to shake Roy's hand. I know you'll have a happy life together._

_All my love, Kel_

##########

Roy sat with his thumb about to hit the Send key on his cell phone. He was hesitating. _Come on. Just get it over with_. He hit Send. The phone on the other end rang, and was picked up on the second ring.

"Hi Joanne. … Yeah, everything's fine. How are you? Did I catch you at a good time? … Well, I have some news for you. … I'm getting married. … Yeah, I know. Thanks. … Dixie McCall. … Yes. … Yeah, it's been a really long time. I ran into her at Rampart a while back. … On Monday. … Yep, they've all met her and everyone seems okay with it. … Thanks. Well, just wanted to let you know. How's Frank? … Good. Okay. … Thanks. … All right, you too. Bye." He hit the End Call button. _Whew! Glad that's over._

##########

"Well, I've never been a Man of Honor before. What do I do?"

"You hold my flowers for me during the ceremony."

"Okay, I can handle that."

"Then there's the four items for the bride, you know-something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue."

"Oh. Um …," Johnny looked around, and felt his pockets. He took out a fresh handkerchief. "How's this for something borrowed? Don't worry, it's clean." He handed it to Dixie.

"That's perfect."

"Let's see, three to go. Well, your engagement ring is new. Can that count?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"Why not? Right." Johnny smiled, but was still sweating the other two items. "So now we need blue and…."

"Something old."

"Something old… and something blue. Lemme think…." Johnny put his hand to his forehead. "Does it have to be something tangible?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, our friendship is old."

"Johnny…. that's very sweet! I like that." Dixie was impressed.

"Good! Okay, we got that then. Something blue now."

"It's usually a garter, but I assume you don't have one of those on you."

"Uh, no, I don't," said Johnny, a little embarrassed. Then it hit him. "Do I have time to go out to my car for minute?"

"I think so. You have something?"

"I might. Wait for me now. I'll be right back." Johnny dashed away. Roy walked back over to Dixie, watching Johnny run off.

"Where's he going? We're just about ready." Roy was a tad bit annoyed.

"Something blue. In his car. He'll be right back." Dixie fussed with the white rose boutonniere on his lapel. "You look very handsome."

Roy wore a light gray jacket, over a white dress shirt and grey vest, with a long light blue tie and grey slacks.

"You look gorgeous." Roy said.

Dixie's outfit was an off-white suit, consisting of a knee-length skirt, a camisole, and a simple jacket. In her hair, she wore a comb with white satin roses and pearls.

Johnny returned a few minutes later. He was wearing a brown sport jacket over a white shirt with a long black tie and tan pants. He also wore a white rose boutonniere in his lapel.

"How's this?" he showed Dixie and Roy his sunglasses holder chain, which had a small piece of turquoise at each end.

"Hey, that's pretty neat." Roy remarked. "We can tie it into your bouquet."

Dixie held up her flowers, which were white roses and baby's breath. Johnny wrapped the chain through the flowers, letting the two turquoise pieces hang down, tied in a bow fashion.

"Very nice." said Dixie, satisfied.

"And a silver sixpence in her shoe." Roy added.

"What?" Johnny said, starting to panic.

"That's the rest of the poem." Roy stated matter-of-factly.

"A silver sixpence? Now what?" Johnny said, exasperated.

"Most people just use a dime," Roy advised.

"A dime… a dime…" Johnny took all the change out his pocket. Luckily, he had a dime. He sighed with relief. "Okay. Here you go." He gave it to Dixie.

"Thank you." Dixie started to put it in her right shoe.

"Ah ah! Left shoe." Roy corrected.

"How do you know these things?" Johnny said.

Roy shrugged. Dixie slipped the coin into her left heel. Roy looked at Johnny. "You got the rings?"

Johnny checked his inside coat pocket. "Yep, safe and sound. We're good to go."

##########

"And now, for as much as you have made your vows, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving your rings, I pronounce that you are husband and wife."

Roy and Dixie shared their first kiss as husband and wife. Then they hugged, and shook hands with the officiant and with Johnny. Johnny took pictures with his iphone. Roy paid the civil ceremony fee. Roy and Dixie signed the final paperwork, Johnny signed as a witness. Finally, the three of them were outside the courthouse.

"We did it." Dixie said, proudly.

"We did." Roy agreed.

"Let me get some shots of you guys outside now." Johnny started to get his iphone ready for another picture. Dixie gently stopped him, and gave him a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you were here for us today, Johnny. You are very special." Dixie said sincerely, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad to have both of you in my life again."

"Same goes for you, Dixie." Johnny said, as he squeezed her tight, then released her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks from me too." Roy said, giving Johnny a hug. "Couldn't do this without you."

"Thanks for letting me be part of it. Means a lot to me." Johnny said, getting a little choked up. "Well, I guess you guys want to head off on your honeymoon now."

"No. Not really." Dixie said.

"Nah." Roy said. Johnny looked perplexed. Roy eased his mind. "We're gonna wait until after my retirement. Which is the next big occasion I'm gonna need you for!" Roy slapped Johnny on the arm.

Johnny smiled. "I'll be there," he said.

"Let's go get something to eat! How about it?" Roy said.

"Sounds good to me." Dixie said.

"How about the Top of Five at the Bonaventure? Great view from up there." Johnny suggested.

"Sounds lovely." Dixie said.

"Let's go." Roy said.

The three of them walked together to celebrate a new chapter in their lives.

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End file.
